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THE

DUNCIA D.

a

BOOK THE THIRD.

ARGUMENT.

AFTER the other perfons are difpofed in their proper places of reft, the Goddess transports the King to her Temple, and there lays him to flumber with his head on her lap: a pofition of marvellous virtue, which caufes all the Vifions of wild enthu fiafts, projectors, politicians, inamoratos, caftle-builders, chemifts, and poets. He is immediately carried on the wings of Fancy, and led by a mad Poetical Sibyl to the Elysian fhade; where, on the banks of Lethe, the fouls of the dull are dipped by Bavius, before their entrance into this world. There he is met by the ghost of Settle, and by him made acquainted with the wonders of the place, and with those which he himself is deftined to perform. He takes him to a Mount of Vifion, from whence he shews him the past triumphs of the empire of Dulness, then the prefent, and lastly the future: how small a part of the world was ever conquered by Science, how foon those conquefts were stopped, and those very nations again reduced to her dominion. Then diftinguishing the Ifland of Great Britain, fhews by what aids, by what persons, and by what degrees, it fhall be brought to her Empire. Some of the perfons he causes to pafs in review before his eyes, defcribing each by his proper figure, character, and qualifications. On a fudden the Scene

Shifts,

Shifts, and a vast number of miracles and prodigies appear. utterly furprizing and unknown to the King himself, till they are explained to be the wonders of his own reign now commencing. On this fubject Settle breaks into a congratulation, yet not unmixed with concern, that his own times were but the types of thefe. He prophecies how firft the nation fhall be over-run with Farces, Operas, and Shows; how the throne of Dulness fhall be advanced over the Theatres, and set up even at Court: then how her Sons fhall prefide in the feats of Arts and Sciences: giving a glympfe, or Pifgah-fight, of the future Fulness of her Glory, the accomplishment whereof is the fubject of the fourth and laft book.

BOOK III.

UT in her Temple's last recefs inclos'd,

BUT

On Dulness' lap th' Anointed head repos'd. Him close fhe curtains round with Vapours blue, And soft befprinkles with Cimmerian dew. Then raptures high the feat of Senfe o'erflow, Which only heads refin'd from Reafon know. Hence, from the ftraw where Bedlam's Prophet nods, He hears loud Oracles, and talks with Gods:

REMARKS.

5

Hence

VER. 5, 6, &c. Hereby is intimated, that the following Vifion is no more than the chimera of the dreamer's brain, and not a real or intended fatire on the prefent Age, doubtless more learned, more enlightened, and more abounding with great Genius's in Divinity, Politics, and whatever arts and fciences, than all the preceding. For fear of any fuch mistake of our Poet's honeft meaning, he hath again, at the end of the Vifion, repeated this monition, saying that it all paffed through the Ivory gate, which (according to the Ancients) denoteth Falfity. SCRIBLERUS..

VER. 8. He hears loud Oracles, and talks with Gods :] Ogilby's verfion of the paffage, imitated from Virgil, is:

"When wond'rous fhapes of fleeting forms appear, He talks with Gods, and doth strange language hear." Prior, in his Simile:

"In noble fongs and lofty odes,

We tread on ftars, and talk with Gods."

IMITATIONS.

WAKEFIELD.

VER. 7, 8. Hence, from the straw where Bedlam's Prophet nods,
He hears loud Oracles, and talks with Gods :]

"Et varias audit voces, fruiturque deorum
Colloquio"-

VIRG. Æneid. viii.

WARBURTON.

Hence the Fool's Paradife, the Statesman's Scheme,
The air-built Castle, and the golden Dream,
The Maid's romantic wifh, the Chemift's flame,
And Poet's vifion of eternal Fame.

And now, on Fancy's eafy wing convey'd,
The King defcending, views th' Elyfian Shade.
A flip-fhod Sibyl led his fteps along,

10

15

In lofty madness meditating fong;
Her treffes ftaring from Poetic dreams,

And never wash'd, but in Caftalia's ftreams.
Taylor, their better Charon, lends an oar,

19

(Once fwan of Thames, tho' now he fings no more) Benlowes, propitious still to blockheads, bows;

And Shadwell nods the Poppy on his brows.

REMARKS.

Here,

VER. 19. Taylor,] John Taylor the Water-poet, an honest man, who owns he learned not fo much as the Accidence. A rare example of modesty in a Poet!

"I must confefs I do want eloquence,

And never scarce did learn my

Accidence;

For having got from poffum to poffet,

I there was gravel'd, could no farther get."

He wrote fourscore books in the reign of James I. and Charles I. and afterwards (like Edward Ward) kept an Alehouse in LongAcre. He died in 1654. WARBURTON.

VER. 21. Benlowes,] A country gentleman famous for his own bad Poetry, and for patronizing bad Poets, as may be seen from many Dedications of Quarles, and others to him. Some of these anagram'd his name, Benlowes into Benevolus; to verify which, he spent his whole estate upon them.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 15. A flip-fhod Sibyl, &c.]

"Conclamat Vates

furens antro fe immifit aperto."

WARBURTON.

VIRGIL. WARBURTON.

Here, in a dufky vale where Lethe rolls,
Old Bavius fits, to dip poetic fouls,

And

REMARKS.

VER. 21. Benlowes-Brown-Mears] How could he wafte fo much time, and throw away fuch charming Poetry on objects fo very unknown and defpicable! What a state of anger and irritation muft his mind (and fuch a mind!) have been in, during the many hours, nay years, he spent in writing the 1670 lines of the Dunciad!

WARTON. VER. 22. And Shadwell nods the Poppy, &c.] Shadwell took Opium for many years, and died of too large a dofe, in the year 1692. WARBURTON.

VER. 24. Old Bavius fits,] Bavius was an ancient Poet, celebrated by Virgil for the like cause as Bays by our author, though not in fo christian-like a manner: For heathenifhly it is declared by Virgil of Bavius, that he ought to be hated and detefted for his evil works; Qui Bavium non odit; whereas we have often had occafion to obferve our Poet's great Good Nature and Mercifulness through the whole courfe of this Poem. SCRIBLERUS.

Mr. Dennis warmly contends, that Bavius was no inconsiderable author; nay, that " He and Mævius had (even in Auguftus's days) a very formidable party at Rome, who thought them much fuperior

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Lethæumque domos placidas qui prænatat amnem, &c.

Hunc circum innumeræ gentes," &c.

VIRG. Eneid. vi.

WARBURTON.

VER. 24. Old Bavius fits, to dip poetic fouls,] Alluding to the. ftory of Thetis dipping Achilles to render him impenetrable :

"At pater Anchifes penitus convalle virenti
Inclufas animas, fuperumque ad lumen ituras,
Luftrabat".

VIRG. Eneid. vi.

WARBURTON.

By no means with an intent to render him impenetrable; but merely in allufion to the paffage in Virgil here quoted. WARTON.

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